1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for linking management-information database structure definition files, a network device management system, and a process program for linking management-information database structure definition files.
2. Description of Related Art
The related art includes systems which totally manage a number of devices (hereinafter “network devices,” and include personal computers, and printers, for example) that are connected to a network.
If the network device to be managed is a personal computer (hereinafter “PC”), data to be managed may include a diversity of data relating to the PC, such as data the PC acquired from the network. If the network device to be managed is a printer, the data to be managed is data relating to the printer, such as the amount of ink remaining in the printer. Each network device includes a management-information database that stores data to be managed.
The side managing the network device (hereinafter “management device”) accesses the management-information database (“MIB database”) on the network device side using network device management software or a MIB (Management Information Base) browser which is one of tools of the software. The management device thus monitors data (MIB data) to be managed and sets data.
A user who manages the network device using the network device management system acquires a management-information database structure definition file (MIB file) described in a standard format called “ANS1” from each device manufacturer to know the structure of the management-information database (MIB database), and converts the file into a format unique to the network device management system to use the file.
The MIB database has a tree structure, as shown in FIG. 5. The end of the tree stores data that is unique to the network device, and the location is designated using an address called an “object ID”. The above-mentioned MIB file expresses the structure of the MIB database.
The MIB tree has typically several files in each portion of the MIB tree structure. In other words, a single MIB tree is defined by several MIB files.
If the definition of the structure of any one MIB tree is dispersed across a plurality of MIB files, several MIB files need to be sequentially tracked when an object ID (a data address) is searched for. When an import section containing a target object is found, an MIB file that is hierarchically higher than that import section needs to be searched. This step must be repeated before reaching a desired object ID.
When the object defined in one MIB file is used in another MIB file, the import section indicates which MIB file defines the object and states that the object is to be used.
The import section describes which section, in which MIB file is, relates to the object. Referencing the import section clarifies which MIB file the MIB file of interest is continued from. The format of the import section is standardized in the ASN1.
To acquire a desired section from a given network device, data present in an address designated by the object ID is acquired by designating the object ID. To set data, an address in which the data is to be set, the value of the data, the type of the data (information indicating whether the data to be set is a numerical value or a character string), etc., are needed.
When desired data is acquired from a given network device, the address of the source of the data is needed. When data setting on a network device is performed, the address of the destination for data setting and the type of the data are needed. These addresses and the data type are acquired from the MIB files.
For example, when the data setting is performed on one network device, the data type of the destination address of the data setting must be known. To this end, that address is searched for from the MIB file, and the data type of the address is acquired. Occasionally, several MIB files must be searched to find the address and the data type of the address. This process involves a number of process steps, and the utilization efficiency of the MIB file is extremely low.